Turkey Taco Soup

Did you even do Thanksgiving right if you don’t have a refrigerator full of leftovers? More than 200 million pounds of turkey will be thrown away every Thanksgiving. More than 150 million pounds of mashed potatoes, green beans, and other side dishes will never get eaten. After Thanksgiving it is estimated that nearly 14 million pounds of dinner rolls will simply be dumped in the garbage after the meal. I hate hate hate hate wasting food. It may sound sappy to say…. but I hate the thought that there are people without the means to even access food let alone have a Thanksgiving. So in our home we make what we can eat and then save our leftovers to creatively reuse in another meal.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am sick of Thanksgiving food pretty much the moment I eat a piece of pie the night of Thanksgiving Day. So in an attempt to not waste our Thanksgiving leftovers, we try to find creative ways to incorporate those leftovers into other meals. For our day after Thanksgiving meal this year we made Turkey Taco Soup! Turkey leftovers can quickly dry out and become unpleasant to eat. So if you are struggling to find a way to save the planet and conserve your leftovers this year try out my yummy soup recipe. We ate leftover rolls from Thanksgiving on the side. You could also sprinkle tortilla strips on top for a little crunch.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked, shredded, leftover Thanksgiving turkey

  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes

  • 1/2 cup black beans

  • 1/2 cup pinto beans

  • 1/2 cup corn

  • 1/4 cup diced yellow onion

  • 2 Tbsp diced cilantro

  • 2 Tbsp taco seasoning

  • 1 Tbsp cumin

  • 1 tsp chipotle chili pepper

  • 1/2 avocado on top (optional)

Instructions

  1. Dump all ingredients in a crock-pot and mix.

  2. Cook on high for 2 hours.

  3. Enjoy! (Yes, it is that easy)

How did you creatively use your Thanksgiving leftovers this year? Send me pictures and ideas! I love hearing from you guys!

 

References

Usda.gov. (2019). Thanksgiving Is a Great Time to Start Reducing Food Waste with Friends & Family. [online] Available at: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2014/11/24/thanksgiving-great-time-start-reducing-food-waste-friends-family [Accessed 3 Dec. 2019].

EatMaddie Lambourne